Southern Weddings

Courtney + Chris are a couple that knows the way to my heart. Their barn reception was complete with string lights and s’mores by the fire pit. My favorite details didn’t work alone, though. The newlyweds’ reception boasted the best of Southern culture. Guests were met with cool and fruity drinks to quench their thirst, wheat sprays looked sophisticated in tall metal pails and burlap dressed the round tables outside. Good ole Southern eats and red velvet cupcakes from the dessert bar topped off the evening. We wouldn’t have had it any other way! Big thanks again to Something Pretty Fine Art Photography for sending this city-meets-country wedding our way!

See all the photos from Courtney + Chris’s wedding in their Real Wedding Gallery!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Guests were offered sweet tea and strawberry lemonade upon entering the ceremony, which was on a farm. Vintage galvanized peach buckets holding abundant baby’s breath lined the aisle and programs were housed in peach crates. Antlers served as centerpieces at the reception. Our band played bluegrass music during the ceremony and country music during the dinner and first part of the reception. Our first dance was to Randy Travis. Our paper goods had elements of burlap, and the men wore purple gingham pocket squares. The flower girls had monogrammed sashes on their dresses, and the list goes on! As a New Yorker who has always loved the South and now lives here, it was important for me to juxtapose city and country elements. I wanted to honor the setting without abandoning my roots and style. So I blended Southern influences with some unexpected city elements.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: I am a huge dessert fan and, thus, wanted an assortment of desserts rather than a cake. The amazing Hallie Janes created a lovely dessert bar with everything from red velvet cupcakes and mini fruit tartlets to Georgia pecan bites and homemade cookies. We also had s’mores down by the lake-side fire pit.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Limiting the guest count. I come from a large family and we are lucky to have so many wonderful friends, but we really wanted the wedding to be around 130 people. It was hard to draw the line.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The moment after walking down the sun-lit aisle standing in between my father and my soon-to-be husband. Ok, that and the moment during the reception when I saw that things were getting rowdy!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not write our own vows but we were able to create the wedding ceremony wording. Our favorite part is as follows, as it celebrates the shared past we had, and how much it molded us: “You are all especially welcome here because you form a circle of love. Courtney and Christopher are who they are, in part, because they have known all of you. The loved ones in this circle have shared concerns, have shared both agreement and disagreement, have shared tears and laughter. Through that sharing, Courtney and Chris have become more as persons, as have you. You are not spectators today. You are all a part of their past.”
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Take everyone up on offers to help – and ask if you fall short on offers. And if you work, take a full week off before the wedding as countless things crop up. I really regret not doing that.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We both feel so blessed to have found one another again and are happily enjoying life in Atlanta. We are looking forward to growing our family that already includes Chris’ amazing 7-year-old son.

Photographer: Something Pretty Fine Art Photography // Videographer: Scott Felsen of Golden Weddings // Planner: No Regrets Events // Venue: Private Barn in Greensboro, GA // Florist: Le Petit Jardin // Caterer: Hallie Janes // Rentals, Linens, Lighting: Hallie Janes // Paper Products: Stationary by Tickled Ink, Burlap Invite Backers from The Blue Envelope, Personalized Items from KaydenAshley on Etsy // Bride’s Dress: Carolina Herrera // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Veil custom made by Ruby V // Bride’s Shoes: Miu Miu from Bergdorf Goodman // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Haute Hippie

Written with love by Nicole